Decorticating-machine.



H. W. GABBETT-FAIRFAX.

DEGORTIOATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1912.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

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Inventor: airfax,

Hugh W illiam Gabbtt-F Attorney.

Witness es:

H. W. GABBETT-FAIRFAX. DEUORTIUATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24,1912.

2 BHEETS -BHEET 2.

Witnesses: Inventor:

M Hugh William Gabbett-Fairfax, ffiwww,

Attorney.

Patented Sept. 10,1912

HUGE WILLIAM GAIBBETT-FAIBFAX, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

DECORTIGATIING-MACHINE.

v Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentediSept. 10, 1912.

Application filed February 24, 1912. Serial No. 679,693.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH WILLIAM GAB- BETT-FAIRFAX, a citizen of theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,. and resident of 78 PalaceChambers, Bridge street, Westminster, London, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Decorticat-ing-Machine's, ofwhich the following is a specification, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This inventionrelates to machines for the removal of pericarp from nutsand the like and refers to that class of machine in which the nuts arebrought into contact with an abrading surface, the main featureof theinvention being that centrifugal force is made use of to press the fruitagainst the said surface and with or without mechanical assistance tomove it relatively to the said surface.

In the accompanying drawings, an example of my invention is shown:Figure 1 sing a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a sectional plan view.Figs. 3 and 4 show, diagrammatically another form of the invention.

In Figs. .1 and 2 a vertically arranged conveying worm a mounted onspindle b is employed to carry the nuts or other fruit downwardlybetween a series of rotating abraders on vertical spindles d arrangedequidistant from the spindle b. The abraders shown each comprises aframe work '0 on-which projecting blades 6 are fixed. A hopper f is setover the conveyer to receive the nuts which falling on to the conveyerare thrown outwardly and contact with the blades e said nuts being atthe same time carried around and down by the conveyer and brought intocontactwith each of the abraders and finally delivered into the chute g.The blades of the abraders carry away the pericarp which falls bygravity and is collected in any convenient manner (not shown) thekernels being prevented from escaping by the filling pieces h. Thedrawings show several nuts in the spaces @1 between the conveyer and theabraders but it is understood that in use a large number of nuts will besimultaneously passing along the conveyer. Each of the spindles is shownfitted with a pulley but anv means for driving may be employed and forhigh speed suitable bearings would be used.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the abraders e are arranged in substantially the samemanner as in Figs. 1 and 2 but instead of employing a rotating conveyingworm a fluted drum is is used to throw the nuts outward and'fixedspirals of wire, rod or the like Z convey the nuts downwardly. Anyconvenient construction or arrangement of spirals can be used. The nutsmay be passed into the machine under any desired pressure and eitherdry, wet, hot or cold, steam being used if desired.

The invention may be carried out within the scope of the followingclaims.

What I claim and desire-to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A machine forremoving pericarp from nuts comprising a drum having a groove thereinadapted to receive the nuts mounted upon a vertical spindle and adaptedto be rotated and a plurality of abrading devices mounted upon verticalspindles and arranged around said drum with a space be tween theperipheries of the drum. and 0f the abrading devices into which spacethe nuts are delivered and in which they are freed from their pericarpby the united action of the drum and the abraders.

2. A machine for removing pericarp from nuts comprising a casing, aconveyer operating in said casing, a plurality of abrading members,operating in conjunction with said conveyer, filling memberssubstantially triangular in cross section, vertically supported withinsaid casing, and means for operating said abrading members.

3. A machine for removing pericarp from nuts, comprising a casing,- ahopper mounted upon said casing, a vertica conveyer mounted in thecasing, a plurality of abrading rolls substantially housing theconveyer, filling members supported in spaced relation around thecentral conveyer, and means for operating the conveyer and abradingmembers.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

. HUGH WILLIAM GABBETT-FAIRFAX.

Witnesses:

J. W. PA'roHINe', O. F. MENLY.

